A ventilator is a mechanical device which is used to provide help with breathing or to take over breathing altogether for a person incapable of doing so on his own. The ventilator provides compressed air or oxygen to the lungs and then allows the compressed air to escape at selected intervals continuously. This system may include a humidifier and heaters to condition the air for the patient and other devices such as a PEEP (positive end expiratory pressure parameter controlled with the ventilator.
It is often desirable or necessary to introduce medication or drugs such as ALBUTEROL, ATROVENT, FLOVENT, and PULMICORT to a patient who is already using a ventilator circuit or other breathing assist device. A preferred device used for this purpose is an MDI (metered dose inhaler) which typically comprises a small canister with the medication under pressure and a nozzle which can be pressed to release a dose of medication. Thus, the MDI is basically a compressed air canister filled with a combination of propellant and medication. This MDI device can be used with a housing which receives the canister and a mouthpiece whereby the patient inverts the canister and housing, puts the mouthpiece into his mouth and squeezes the canister down into the housing, causing the canister to inject the needed medication into the mouthpiece after which the patient inhales the medication directly into the lungs.
Further, another device called a nebulizer is used to introduce other medications, for example, asthma medication, into a patient's lungs. A nebulizer uses an electrical compressor to turn liquid medication into a fine mist for administering. A nebulizer is a small canister into which is placed a small amount of liquid medication, such as ALBUTEROL, ATROVENT, MYCOMYST, TOBRAMYCIN, MUCOMYST, PULMICORT and/or other antibiotics and drugs. Compressed air or oxygen is introduced into the liquid causing the liquid to become a mist which is easily breathed into the lungs.
It is often desirable to use an MDI device and/or a nebulizer within a ventilation system at any selected time. This would required the disassembly of the ventilator circuit and the connecting of either an MDI device adapter or a nebulizer adapter into the ventilator circuit. These adapters are connected inline with the already existing normal ventilator circuit and include a port for the temporary insertion of an MDI canister or a nebulizer device into the adapter and therefor, into the ventilator circuit. The disassembly of the ventilator circuit for this purpose is undesirable because of the possibility of introduction of contaminates and sources of infection and possible mistakes in re-assembly of the circuit. At present, MDI adapters and nebulizer adapters are individually available.
More recent MDI devices include a counter which counts each time the MDI device is pressed down so that a user will know that the device has been used a certain number of times, is nearly empty and needs to be replaced. An MDI device adapter which includes a longitudinal projection with teeth on one side to operate the counter operating gear is capable of operating the counter device within the MDI device. The integral longitudinal projection is near and parallel to the friction fit tube on the adapter which removably receives the MDI device nozzle. A metering valve controls the amount of the dose providing metered dose of medication delivered directly to the lungs via inhalation. A further addition to the adapter includes a removable cap which cover the opening for the MDI device while the MDI device is not connected, thus providing protection from contamination.
Adapters such as the MDI device adapter and the nebulizer adapter can be used in situations other than with a ventilator being used on a patient. For example these adapters can be used with a face mask type respirator or with a handheld respiratory device with a simple mouthpiece.